The need for practical and efficient devices suited for muscular toning and human body conditioning is a long established one. There are a variety of exercise devices, including powered machines, that selectively challenge different sets of body muscles. One area of sought exercise is directed to the abdominal, biceps, and triceps muscle sets. One such device described in the patent literature as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,425 (granted Aug. 3, 1993 to J. V. Miller et al). The Miller patent teaches a device that involves direct, over the inherent range of motion for the prior art device, that its resistance level increases linearly, as opposed to a preferred constant plus consistent resistance level throughout the device range of motion.
The prior art device lacks the mechanical features and architecture that can provide biceps toning in the course of using a curling motion. This feature is made more evident by resort to FIGS. 11-17, of Miller on its one preferred embodiment. FIGS. 11 and 12 show the extreme postures effected in using the device upright and crouched. Looking to Miller's FIGS. 15, and 16, an elastic band 124 is rigged over spaced-apart, opposing hook ends 120/134, so that user exertion on cross bands 40/41 results in a linearly increasing resistance as the finite length band 134 is extended. Miller also lacks a structural element positioned perpendicular to the user's body, thereby precluding a curling exercise.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a portable abdominal and arms exercise device that can be used alternately for abdominal toning, biceps muscle toning, forearm muscle toning, and triceps muscle toning by simple realignment of its operating position.
It is another object of the invention to provide an exercise device which incorporates a preferred constant resistance level feature occurring throughout the defined range of motion for the device user.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a device employing a linkage-based system versus a direct resistance system yielding a lineal and consistent resistance throughout its range of motion.
A yet further object of the invention is to provide a portable unit that folds up for easy shipment and/or storage.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a device which precludes the need for positioning of the hands adjacent the user's chest (as seen with Miller '425 FIGS. 11 and 12), rather by steadying the device just within the user thighs, thus making for a concise and focused abdominal exercise.